Those With Wings: A Tsubasa Chronicle
by Kyoko-chan and Mistress-sama
Summary: Fai's world goes into a tailspin after meeting headstrong Kyoko Ishihara. He immediately sets out to win her over, but it won't be easy! Kyo vows to help Sayoran recover Sakura's feathers, but is her true task to help Fai come to terms with his dark past?
1. The Breakaway

Well, hello there, again! Sorry about the gap again, senior year has been really busy. Now, I'm preparing to go off to DBU for college! How scary is that? The flakiest, silliest, most happy-go-lucky person at my high school is going out into the real world!

And a shout-out to SarahofEarth – Sorry about my email being down for so long! I promise, it won't happen again!

Anywho, the story you're about to read has been in the works for over a year. The storyline for this was difficult to come up with! Also, though I have heard different ideas, the characters ages in this story will be as follows: Sakura – 15, Sayoran – 16, Kyoko – 17 1/2, Fai - 20, and Kurogane – 21. Enjoy!

Oh yeah, not my characters except for Kyoko and Moki!

**Those With Wings - A Tsubasa Story**

Chapter 1

The Breakaway

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly

I'll do what it takes

'Till I touch the sky

And I'll make a wish

Take a chance

Make a change

And break away

Out of the darkness and into the sun

But I won't forget

All the ones that I love

And I'll take a risk

Take a chance

Make a change

And break away

* * *

Memories ran through her head, trying to make her stay. But there was no way she was staying. No, not after that fight. She brushed a strand of her long black hair out of her violet eyes. This was it. Finally, she looked down at the gray creature beside her. "Can you sense him?"

The gray thing smiled. "I'm locked on target!"

The area was surrounded by a dense covering of trees. It was dark. Only the lights of the city filtered through and it was just barely. It was the perfect place for her to make her escape. She took one look back at the gleaming city that she loved so much. "I'm going to miss this place." She thought. But there was no time for her to waste. She picked up the creature. "Alright, let's go!"

"Paku!"

* * *

Sorry about the shortness of this chapter! 


	2. Of Marshlands and Strangers

Alright guys, if you're confused after that, don't worry! Much of what just happened gets explained in this chapter!

Chapter 2

Of Marshlands and Strangers

"So, what did you say you call this again?"

"A marsh, Fai, a MARSH!" Kurogane growled, rolling his red eyes. "Are you even listening to what I'm saying?" He ran his hand through his black hair and sighed in resignation.

Fai, a tall, happy-go-lucky blonde, spotted a slimy, green creature on the side of the path and immediately picked it up. "Look, Kuro-rin! It's so cute! What do you call it?"

Sakura smiled. "Fai is so curious! He's never seen anything like this before!"

Kurogane glared at Fai. "It's a frog."

The frog stared up into Fai's smiling blue eyes without blinking. "Ribbit!"

Fai laughed. "I think I'll keep it! Look, Sakura!" He held the frog out to her in the palms of his hands.

She patted its head. "It's so sweet."

Fai was overjoyed about having a new pet.

"What about Mokona?" Mokona asked.

"Oh, Mokona, I'm not replacing you!" Fai assured him. "Besides, you're not a pet, you're one of us!"

Mokona hopped happily onto Fai's head. "Mokona is Mokona!"

Sayoran kept his eyes on the treacherous path ahead. He knew that one wrong step could land one or all of them onto unstable ground. But there was something else about the marsh. For one, there was a very unnatural fog that hung in the air, but also, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. "Keep it down." He said to the others. "I think there's someone out there."

"Or something." Fai added with a smile. As he said this, a crash broke the eerie silence.

"What was that?" Mokona asked.

"I don't know." Kurogane replied, his hand moving instinctively to his sword's handle.

After several tense moments, Fai stepped forward. "Well, since no one seems to want to check this out, I will."

Before anyone could stop him, he had wandered off into the fog.

* * *

"Kyo? Kyo, are you okay?" The little gray creature asked, poking the girl in the cheek. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her head was pounding. She tried to get up, but instantly laid back down, to dizzy to sit up. 

"Hey, I'm over here." The gray thing said.

The girl turned her head to the side. "We made it." She massaged the back of her head and winced. She looked at her hand to find that blood was smeared on it. "So that's why my head feel's like it's going to explode." She murmured.

"Try to get up again." Her companion suggested.

This time, she rolled onto her stomach and tried slowly sitting up. Her head spun, but she forced herself onto her knees. Suddenly she heard footsteps. She froze, knowing very well that she could have fallen into a hostile environment. Her instincts kicked in. She had to get away! She stood and swayed.

"Look out!" Came her little friend's frightened voice.

She felt herself falling sideways and braced herself, but the impact didn't come.

"Gotcha." A mellow voice said.

Her vision swam as she looked up at the stranger whose arms had stopped her fall, but couldn't put a clear picture together.

"Yuko?" The new voice asked.

"Did you just call me Yuko?" She asked weakly.

As he lowered her to the ground, he noticed the blood in her hair. "You're hurt."

"Tell me something I don't know." She said sarcastically, then closed her eyes. "Who are you?"

"I should ask you the same thing. You look just like Yuko, but seem offended by the name! So, who are _you_?"

The girl opened an eye. "I asked first."

"Look," He said, "I can help, but I'll have to take you back to where the people I'm with are waiting. I don't feel comfortable treating you alone in this place. Come on, I'll help you walk." He gently hoisted her up.

Her gray companion hid herself in the hood of the girl's cloak.

The two complete strangers to each other slowly progressed.

Sayoran spotted them coming out of the fog. "He's back!"

Kurogane glanced sideways at them. "What have I told you about bringing back strays?" He growled.

"Down, puppy!" He said with a laugh. He lowered the girl again and held her upright in front of him. He pulled out a strip of cloth from his coat pocket and wet it in a pool of water next to him. He cleaned the gash, then held the cloth against it to stop the bleeding. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She said.

Finally, he introduced himself. "My name is Fai D. Flowright."

Now that her head had stopped spinning, she could see clearly again and turned to face him. It was the wizard from Seresu!

"I'm Kyoko Ishihara, and if you call me Yuko again, you'll regret it!" She snapped suddenly.

"Whoa, easy there. Calm down, calm down!" Fai laughed.

Mokona peeked around Fai's knee. "Kyo!"

"Mokona! It's great to see you again!"

Sayoran, Sakura, and Kurogane also introduced themselves.

Suddenly, Mokona spotted Kyo's companion. "Moki!" He exclaimed, excited to see his sister. Moki shot out of her hiding place to greet Mokona.

Kurogane's face contorted into an expression of angry shock. "There are _two_ manju buns?!"

Moki jumped onto Fai's head and nestled into his feathery hair.

"I like Moki already!" Fai said with a smile.

Kyo hugged Mokona.

Fai stood, Moki still ridding along.

"We can't stay here." Sayoran said to Kurogane.

"I know." The ninja replied. "But we can't just leave her here."

Kyo stood. "I'm okay, now. If we need to move on we can go."

"We?" Kurogane thought.

"But your head…" Sayoran said.

She smiled. "I'll manage."

"If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." Sayoran said, then speed up to take the lead.

Sakura approached Kyo. "Kyoko-san?"

Kyoko smiled. She was only about two years older than Sakura. "You're Sakura, right?"

"Yes," Sakura replied.

"I think we'll be good friends. We girls have to stick together!"

"I wanted to welcome you myself, so welcome!" Sakura said excitedly.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura smiled. "Just call me Sakura."

"Alright, Sakura. And you can call me Kyo."

Fai came up behind her. "And you can just call me Fai! No need for formalities out here!"

Kyo ignored him.

Fai's happy expression fell. "You're not still mad at me for the Yuko thing are you?"

She sped up to join Kurogane.

He looked down at her. "Wizard?"

"Yes."

"Annoying?"

"Unbearably."


	3. A New Family

Okay, Here's chapter 3! I'm on a roll!!! WO0t!!!! My dog, Annie, is in here cheering me on!

Chapter 3

A New Family

As night fell, the group stopped to make camp under a broad tree.

"Kuro-pii, could you help me start this fire?" Fai asked.

Kurogane was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed and his back against the tree trunk. He opened one eye. "Do it yourself."

Kyo sat down next to him. "Is he always like this?"

Kurogane sighed. "Pretty much."

Sayoran offered to help Fai start the fire.

Sakura, Mokona, and Moki played with Fai's frog. "It's so strange!" Mokona remarked.

"So, how did you get here?" Kurogane asked Kyo. "I see you have one of those things from Yuko."

"Yep, Moki brought me here. She can track Mokona's movement through different worlds and go there if she wants."

"I see." Kurogane mused.

"Mokona found berries!" Mokona exclaimed.

"Don't eat those unless you know they're safe." Sayoran warned.

Kyo stood. "Let me see them."

Mokona handed a berry to her. She took it and held it between her fingers. It began to give off a faint red glow. "They're fine. If there were any toxins, it would give off a green glow."

"Yay! Mokona found dinner!" Mokona said happily.

"So, you're a magic user." Kurogane said, slightly surprised.

Kyo sat back down. "Yeah. Both Yuko and I are. It runs in the family."

"You're related?"

"Yuko is my older sister."

"Oh! That explains why you look so much like her!" Fai commented while petting his frog.

Kyo shot him a venomous look.

"Why did you leave?" Kurogane inquired.

"Yuko and I are always fighting. I left because she was cooping me up in that house and I wanted to see the world. We got into a huge fight and I couldn't take it any more. You see, she's been training me to follow in her footsteps, but I don't want to. So, I took matters into my own hands and made my escape."

Kurogane didn't press her further.

"Warm Berries?"

Kurogane and Kyo looked up to see Fai offering them both handfuls of berries with a happy smile.

Kurogane took them, as did Kyo, though she did so grudgingly.

"I don't understand how you could treat someone of your own kind so harshly." Kurogane said with a wry smile.

"He called me Yuko." She said, "End of subject."

"I got it!" Fai suddenly exclaimed.

Sayoran, Kurogane, and Kyo were immediately on there feet. "What is it?!"

Fai smiled and held up his frog. "I'm going to call him 'McGoogles'!"

"Fai!" Kyo yelled in annoyance.

He laughed. She sighed. This was her new family.

* * *

Fai stared into the dying embers of the fire. He couldn't stop thinking about her. "_Kyoko_ Ishihara." He thought. "I should have known." He couldn't understand why she couldn't get over his small mistake. "Now she hates me." It was like having a second Kurogane around. And on top of it all, she was beautiful. How could he, a male forever a slave to guy things, ignore her? He rolled over and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The group left early the next morning. Sayoran seemed to know exactly where he was, even in the dense fog. However, by midday, they had arrived in a thriving city. Fai searched for someone to show them around and finally came across a thirteen-year-old girl.

"Guys, this is Megumi. She's going to show us around." He said, introducing the dark haired, brown-eyed girl.

"Welcome to Kichi!" She said.

"Kichi is the capital city of the country of Terraq." Fai explained.

Megumi led them around the city of rustic wooden houses and grand stone buildings. "The palace and government buildings." Megumi explained.

Finally, they came to Megumi's house. It was built in the same old style as the other houses. She opened the door. "Mom, Dad, I'm home!" She called.

Megumi's mother came to greet her. "Megumi, who are your new…" She paused as she realized that the two oldest were at least twenty. "…acquaintances?"

She introduced her to the group. "They need a place to stay, so can they stay with us?"

"Oh, no, we couldn't ask you to do that." Sayoran said.

"No, please. I can tell that you are all trustworthy." She said with a smile.

"Mom can feel people's true personalities!" Megumi quipped.

"We have two extra rooms." She said, leading them inside.

Fai smiled. "Great! Kyo can room with Sakura and Sayoran, Kuro-rin, and I will stay in the other!"

"I'm not rooming with him." Kurogane said flatly.

"Any other arrangement would hardly be appropriate." Fai pointed out with an "and you know it" smile. "It's settled."

Suddenly, they heard screaming in the streets. Sayoran threw the door open. People ran panicked everywhere. He stopped a fleeing woman. "What's going on?"

Her eyes were wide with fear. "It's the giant toads! They're attacking again!"


	4. Army From the Black Lagoon

Alright, chapter 4! I finished reading _Marley and Me_ yesterday. If you haven't read this book, you need to! Especially if you are a dog lover! It's amazing!

Chapter 4

Army From the Black Lagoon

Megumi's father, Shinji, jerked Sayoran back inside. "Are you crazy?" He closed the door and lowered a wooden bar to lock it.

The five wore expressions of confusion.

"Giant toads?" Sayoran asked.

"Yes," Suki said. "Several years ago, giant toads began attacking the city. At first, the attacks were random and ineffective, but over the years, they have become organized, like an army. And, they've developed some sort of trident that delivers a deadly shock on contact."

"Do the citizens fight back?" Kurogane inquired.

"We try," Shinji explained, "but our weapons are no match for the tridents."

"It's safest to lock our doors and hidden until after the raid." Suki continued. "The toads themselves are weak on land and can't break down a door."

Suddenly Mokona and Moki sprang into the air, their eyes wide open. "There's a feather here!" They said in unison.

"Maybe one of Sakura's feathers is to blame for the toads' sudden acquisition of intelligence and size." Fai suggested.

"We have to get that feather back." Sayoran said with determination. " Otherwise those toads will overrun the city! I'll go tomorrow to see what I can find!"

"I'm coming with you." Kurogane said. "You shouldn't go it alone with you're eye."

"Me too!" Fai chimed in, raising his hand.

"And I'll go." Kyo offered.

"I can't ask you to fight for us." Sayoran said to her.

"That's the beauty of it!" She said with a wink. "You don't have to!"

* * *

"Watch your step." Sayoran muttered to the others.

The sky was gray and overcast, giving the land, fog, and water the same murky tint.

Fai twirled the broom he was using as a weapon. "It's so quiet out here."

Sayoran stopped. Fai was right. The only sounds he could here were the sound of marshwater and the sound of their own footsteps. "Something isn't right. Keep moving."

Kyo watched for any sign of danger. Fai walked up behind her. "Ky-o!" He said in a sing-song voice.

Kyo flinched.

"Ahhaha! Gotcha!" Fai laughed. "Anyway, I was wondering. I heard what you said to Kurogane and I think I could teach you a thing or two. It will be hard, since I won't actually use my magic, but I think we can handle it. What do you say?"

"Don't get your hopes up."

As she said this, the four came to a large lake in the middle of the marsh. Someone had left a good sized wooden row boat on the shore. It showed signs of slight neglect, but otherwise looked fine.

Mokona, who had been sitting on Fai's shoulder, pointed across the water. "The feather is somewhere over there."

"This would be the only way across." He said, motioning to the boat. "It looks very sturdy." He pushed it into the water.

Kyo looked cautiously at the boat. "I don't know…"

Sayoran and Kurogane stepped into the boat, followed by Fai, who looked back at the apprehensive Kyo standing on the shore. "Do you trust me?" He asked, holding out his hand to help her in as well.

Slowly, she placed her hand in his. "Um, alright. I'll trust you."

He helped her into the boat, then used one of the oars to push them away from the bank. He handed the other to Kyo. "I'm going to need some help."

Kyo took the oar, ready to help them accomplish their goal.

Mokona sat at the bow, directing them toward the feather. "More to the northwest."

Fai and Kyo maneuvered the boat in the direction Mokona indicated.

Kyo suddenly saw the water ripple out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head but saw nothing. She focused back on rowing, but suddenly saw something again. This time she only looked out of the corner of her eye, but saw enough to shrink back. She leaned in toward Sayoran and Kurogane. "We're being watched by toads!" She whispered in a panicky voice.

Kurogane looked out over the water. Several toads' eyes poked up out of the water. One blinked one of its eyes while keeping the other fixed on them. "Keep rowing." He whispered back.

Kyo looked at Fai. He appeared to be very relaxed. "I wish I could be that relaxed in the face of danger." She though jealously to herself. He didn't even seem to notice the toads.

"They're in front of us too!" Mokona shouted.

Kurogane threw his hand over Mokona's mouth. "Keep quiet, manju bun!"

"We're surrounded." Fai said in his calm demeanor.

The toads were emerging everywhere. Fai stopped rowing.

"What now?" Kyo asked nervously.

"We defend the boat." Sayoran said.

Fai started rowing again. Maybe they're just watching."

Kyo grabbed her oar. "I hope you're right."

The boat kept moving, and the toads began closing in. Suddenly, the silence was shattered by a cacophony of croaks.

"They're not to happy about us being here!" Kyo warned.

Kurogane drew his sword and stabbed a toad that was trying to climb in the boat. "Get off!"

Fai grabbed his broom and handed his oar to Sayoran. He then shoved the bristles of the broom into another toad's eyes.

"Don't let their tridents touch you!" Mokona reminded them.

"There are too many of them!" Sayoran shouted over the loud croaking.

Fai looked directly into Kyo's eyes. "You have to do something. Now." He said, his tone completely serious.

She nodded. She stuck her hand into the water.

"What are you doing?!" Kurogane shouted, making a move to grab her wrist.

Fai stopped him. "Leave her alone. She might be our only way out."

Suddenly, the frogs croaks increased to a nearly deafening level as they began to disappear.

Fai took his oar from Sayoran. Kyo sat down with hers. The two pushed themselves to their limits, crossing the rest of the lake in record time.

As they hid the boat behind some reeds, Kyo looked out across the water. "They'll be back."

Kurogane looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't kill them."

Fai gave her a curious look. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what _did _you do to them?"

"I shocked them with electricity."

"Well, you certainly proved that you can handle this!" The wizard laughed.

"Unlike some of us." Kurogane said pointedly to Fai.

"Everyone contributed." Sayoran said, breaking up the squabble. "Now, if we're going to find Sakura's feather, we're going to have to split up."

"Who will take Mokona?" Fai asked.

Suddenly, another voice chimed in. "I'll help!"

"Moki?!" Kyo exclaimed.

Moki jumped out of the pocket of Fai's coat.

"I told you to stay with Sakura!" She yelled. She turned her annoyed gaze at Fai. "Fai!"

"She begged me to let her come!" He said in defense. "And, look at it this way. Our Mokona problem is solved!"

Mokona hopped onto Sayoran's shoulder. "Let's go!"

Fai smiled at his annoyed partner.

Kyo caught the look. "No way am I partnering with you." She turned to see Sayoran, Kurogane, and Mokona already headed off in the opposite direction.

"Too late!" He laughed and dogged a blow from her oar.


End file.
